Typewriter-carriage-return mechanism



A. GRUICH TYPEWRITER CARIAGE RETURN MECHANISM Nov. 22, 1927.v

Filed Nov. 22, 1926 INVENTOR onye Gruboh/ www (Fv,

ATTORNEY hiv/1115111111 lm ESSES Patented Nov. 22, 1927.,

nire@ u Se,

res

ANTONIJE GRICH, F NEWf YORK; vN. Y.

"e rvenwzerffeu?CARRIAGE-RETURN Meenemen.

` Appupaupn mea Noyemher 22, 192e, serial no. 15eme.

While I shall describe my invention as a l0 means for returning the carriage of a typewriter to starting position I would have it distinctly understood that the mechanism is capable of a, wide range of utility in connec-y tion with any other suitable mechanism which is now operated by vhand so that the operator can perform the operation by movement of the foot, leaving both hands free for other usesV A further object is to provide aV device, or mechanism ofv this character which can be manufactured and Sold, at a. reasonably low price, which will be Heet attractive in appearance and which WillA most efficiently perform the functions for which it 1s intended e t ith these and other objects in viewpthe .invention consists in certain'novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts-,which will .be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out ihtheclems. y

In the accompanyingdrawingsfi Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my improved meehenem operatively oohneeted to the shiftleverof a typewriter carriage; e c f Figure 2 is. a, View mainly le elevation but partly in sectiOn showing my improved pulley-supporting adjustable post; 4 y 4Q vliigure 3 isa view in longitudinal section Showing my improved root-operated, peolel oo-oeeretrg Ieeohameni in one extreme position;Av` e Fgure 4. ie e. view Similar to Flgure he Showing full and. dotted linee other poel:

tiene of the parte;

Figure 5' is a plan viewl showing the lever in a position reverse to that shown inj Fig ure. 1! t l represents a table or other support, and 2` the shift lever of a typewriter carriage, al#V though it is to. be olethetly understood that member constitute e, member of.

other movable mechanisms which are com-i monly operated by hand. y

To the table or support l I secure a U`- Clamp 3,a preferably by ineens of a Set screw l located in one member-ofthe clamp 2LH-Olen- K gagging the bottom of the table 1 On this U`-c,1a1np 3 a bracket 4 is secured by means of a screw 5 which projects through a perforated base 6 on the bracket and is screwed into the` clamp 3. A Washer 7 is preferably interposed' between the head ofthescrew 5 and the clamp, and this screw permits the bracket to Abeturned to any desired angle and vclamped; rigidly' in any position A tubular post 8 is pivotally connected at its lower end to the bracket @L by means of a screw bolt 9 so that this postv may be swung at any desired angle relative to the bracket,

A poet extension 1111 telescopes. in the upper enel, ofthe poet 8, ahfleeelpost 8l is, longttuelnalliy `Slt at ite upper enel.;` as Shown at 12, so that it constitutes a spring grippingV member to hold, the exteneloull in any poel.- tion. of iongitudinat adj ustment.;

The bracket e above described supports a;

pulley 13 vtlile guard le over the Seme, i

and the' post extensionll supportsa pulley 15 near its, upper enel, Seid, pulley being preferably loeefed in. e slot 126'n. Seid, post extension Ah. operating oord or other flexblje eohneetna device 1'?" is secured et one.

enelto the Shift lever 2 to pase througll'the eliott, over the pulley 1 5; tlfiehoeoverY the' pulley 1,3 Within the. ,guard 1,44?. The. lower enel of this eordj is preferehly looped4 es, ,shove et 18a with en adiuetin Slide 19 thereoutoediuet Jelle length, ofY the, oord to Suit conditions, and Said Corel at its looped end operatively'eohheetedlto improved foot pedal operet'ngmeelienism, which 4.will now be described. e e

20 repreeehte. bese Whehlney be Pro,- vicleel with cushion members. Zito, engage the floor endnrereht'elippng of the heee. and also prevent Scratching o1? iniiiry to the licor- Oh. thiebaee 2 0, aelieoeet one. enel thereof,V a bifurcated bracket XG'Oband a hturleated. bracket 2 3. fixed to theuoeler face of a foot pedal 24 is pivotaliy connected' tosaicl, bracket 22 by meehe of a This foot pedal 24j preferably conforms in' shape to the shapeof the soieof the footal and; the reiht ofl pivotal ,connection thereof is located nearer the heel portion of the pedal than the toe portion, and said heel portion is preferably formed with an upwardly projecting flange 26 which acts to prevent the foot or shoe from slipping o the pedal.

A post 27 is fixed to one end of the base 20, and a link 28 is pivotally connected to the upper end of thepost-27. A lever 29 is pivotally connected at one end to the link 28, and said lever 29 is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to a link 30, the latter being pivotally connected to the toe end of the foot pedal 24, as shown at 30.

yThe links 28 and 30 are preferably of the bifurcated type although it is of course not essential to my invention. However, it is 4 essential that some means be provided for limiting the pivotal movements of the respective links 28 and 30, and I have shown a projection 31 on the link 28 which -is adapted to engage the fixed post 27 when said link 28 is swungto an extreme position, such as illustrated in Figure 4. The other link 30 is limited in its pivotal movement by its engagement with a wall 32 constituting a part or end of the foot pedal 24.

The lever 29 adjacent its free end is preferably offset laterally so that its free end will lie in a-plane to one side of the foot pedal 24 and will not interfere with the free movement of the foot, and this lever 29 may be located either at the left sideof the foot pedal, as shown in Figure 1, or be reversed and located at the right side of the pedal, as

shown in Figure 5, so that this mechanism is capable of adjustment or variationin formas to adapt it for the particular work it has :to do.

A spring 33 is located under the heel portion of the pedal 24, and this spring may take the form of a coil around the pin 25Y with the ends of the spring connected to or engaging the base 2O and the pedal, respectively, as illustrated in the drawings; or any other form of spring may be used, the purpose of which is merely to assist the pedal in its movement in onevdirection and release the muscles of the operators foot and leg, andlin a -very real sense balance the movement so as to make it easy for the operator. A cushion 34 is preferably secured tothe base 20 and adapted to be engaged by the toe end of the pedal 24 to cushion the pedal when it reaches its downward extreme posi. tion'and prevent noise and jar.

By reason of the construction above described I secure an agumented movement for the lever 29 with a minimum of movement necessary for the pedal 24 to control the operation. To make this clear, I would call attention to the fact that the carriage of a typewritermoves a distance of ten inches to a footV and if this returnv movement were to be accomplished by a pedalrequiring a like movement it would require an excessive movement of the foot and leg which would be tiresome and awkward, and with my improved mechanism I overcome this difficulty, as will now be explained.

Figures 1 and 4 illustrate what may be termed a normal position of the parts, so that when the carriage begins to move to the left there will be some slack in the cord 17, and, as the c ord becomes taut and when the carriage is approaching the extreme of its movement, said movement of the carriage will remove the parts to the dotted line position indicated in Figure 4. In other words, an upward pull on the free end of lever 29 will draw apart the ends of the links 28 and 80 to the left of Figure 4 and give to lever 29 an angular disposition which will allow for the movement in carriage.

This movement is limited by the engagement of the links 28 and 30 with the parts supporting them, or to which they are connected. so as to prevent the movement of the links beyond a point where they would collapse the linkage. When it is desired to return the carriage to the starting point the operator presses downwardly on the toe end of the pedal, bringing the parts to the position indicated in Figure 3, this movement' being assisted by the spring 33. The operator then presses downwardly on the heel portion of the pedal, bringing the parts to the full line position indicated in Figure 4, ready for a repeating of the operation.

While I have illustrated what I believe toA sider myself at liberty to make such changes` and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foot pedal mechanism of the character described, including a base, a foot pedal on the base, a link connected to the base, a lever connected at one end to the link, and a second link connecting the lever intermediate its ends with one end of the foot pedal.

2. A foot pedal mechanism of the character described, including a base, a foot pedal on the base, a link connected to the base, a lever connected at one end to the link, a second link connecting the lever intermediate its ends with one end of the foot pedal, and means limiting the pivotal movement of the links in one direction.

3. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a base, a foot pedal pivotally supported between its ends on the base, a post on one end of the base, a link pivotally connected to the upper end of the post, a lever pivotally connected to the link and projecting in a direction toward the foot pedal but laterally offset theretrom and a link pivotally connecting the toe end of the foot pedal with the lever intermediate the ends of the latter.

4. A mechanism of the character described, comprising a base, a foot pedal piv* otally supported between its ends on the base, a post on one end of the base, a link pivotally connected to the upper end or t'ne post, a lever pivotally connected to the l'ink and projecting in a direction toward the foot pedal but laterally offset therefrom, a link pivotally connecting the toe end of the foot pedal With the lever intermediate the ends of the latter, and means on the` first-mentioned link adapted to engage the post and limit the pivotal mov-ement of said link toward the foot pedal.

5. A mechanism ot' the character described, comprising a base, a foot pedal pivotally supported between its ends on the base, a post on one end of the base, a link pivotally connected to the upper end of the post, a lever pivotally connected to the link and projecting in a direction toward the foot pedal but laterally offset therefrom, a link pivotally connecting the toe end. of the foot pedal With the lever intermediate the ends of the latter, a spring exerting up- Ward pressure on the heelend of the foot pedal, and a guard around the heel end of the pedal adapted to receive therein the heel of a shoe.

6. In combination, a post having a telescoping section, a clamp adapted to engage a support, a bracket pivotally and adjustably secured to the clamp and supporting said post, pulleys on the bracket and on the post, a foot pedal mechanism including a lever moved by a pedal, a flexible device con- `nected to the lever and adapted to be passed over said pulleys and operatively connected to a movable member, and means constitut-` ing a part ol the foot pedal mechanism permitting movement of the lever in excessr of Va second link pivotally connecting one end of the foot pedal With the lever at a point intermediate the ends of the latter, and said link so arranged as to permit an additional movement of the lever beyond any movement which may be imparted thereto by the foot pedal.

ANTONIJ E GRUICH. 

